This invention relates to rechargeable battery enclosures, and more particularly to exterior closures for such battery enclosure in which is integrally mounted a rechargeable jack assembly for reception preferably of a coaxial type recharge plug.
Two conductor coaxial-type battery charger plugs are becoming widely used primarily because they are essentially short-circuit proof. The mating sockets or recharge jacks for use with coaxial plugs are generally made as a separate unit which is adapted to be molded in, slidably inserted or staked into a battery enclosure wall. These jack units are often intricate in design and incorporate a number of parts and lead connectors, and require numerous solder connections to wire the rechargeable battery structure. The large number of parts and assembly operations increase costs as well as reduce reliability.
Many types of battery enclosures such as lantern batteries include a separate spacer element, which may be made of cardboard, for instance, which serves to position the cells from the enclosure surface (which carries the recharge jack) providing space for leads, connectors, and relays, for instance. The use of a separate spacer such as this increases assembly costs and does not always provide a positive spacing between the enclosure and cells, the latter needing to be immobilized under many applications.
It is the primary object of this invention to overcome the above-cited problems, by providing a substantially rigid one-piece battery enclosure assembly which includes a spacer portion, and also an integral recharge jack of simplified construction and which is made a permanent portion of the closure wall.